What is Tulip?

As many of you know, I am a proud Dutch girl (50% to be exact).  My middle name–Jacoba–comes from my Oma, whose birth name was Neeltje Jacoba Van Leeuwen.  I wanted to incorporate some Dutch aspect into the name of this blog, and thought that Tulip might be unique.  Tulips are not only of the most popular flowers in Holland, but my childhood memories are also filled with these brightly-colored, perky spring annuals popping up every April in my front yard.  My Oma loved tulips as well.  Interestingly enough, Tulip is also an acronym for the five points of Calvinist theology, also referred to as the doctrines of grace.  Calvinist theology is essentially a reformed Christian perspective on God’s role in our salvation, and follows the same doctrine that my Oma believed and that my church–Covenant Life–follows.  The five points are as follows:

1.  Total Depravity: every person is corrupt and sinful throughout in all of his or her faculties, including the mind and will. Thus, no one is able to do what is truly good in God’s eyes. (This does not mean that every act is as evil as it could be, but rather that every good act is corrupted by sin.) As a result of this corruption, man is enslaved to sin, rebellious and hostile toward God, blind to truth, and unable to save himself or even prepare himself for salvation.

2.  Unconditional Election: Election means “choice.” God’s choice from eternity past, of whom he will bring to himself, is not based on foreseen virtue, merit, or faith in the persons he chooses but rather is unconditionally grounded in his own sovereign decision.

3.  Limited Atonement:  Jesus‘ atonement was definite and certain in its design and accomplishment; Calvinists do not believe, however, that the atonement is limited in its value or power (in other words, God could have elected everyone and used it to atone for them all), but rather that the atonement is limited in the sense that it is designed for some and not all.

4.  Irresistable Grace: the Holy Spirit is able to overcome all resistance and make his influence irresistible and effective. Thus, when God sovereignly purposes to save someone, that individual certainly will be saved

5.  Perseverance of the Saints: since God is sovereign and his will cannot be frustrated by human will or anything else, those whom God has called into communion with himself will continue in faith until the end.

 Thus, Tulip represents the heritage of my filial history and my spiritual foundation.